#secularreligion

With the last ten years a new generation has come of age in the midst of two government shutdowns, a recession and several drawn out wars. They have also watched trusted institutions like banks, the housing market and even sports figures falter. As a result, today Americans are non-committal including in their religious affiliation.  A recent Pew study found that one-fifth of American adults have no religious affiliation and perhaps most striking is that one-third of Americans under 30 have no religious affiliation at all. This trend has led to a shift in values leading people to openly question their faith.

Culture

Within the next ten years churches will become historic places or museums. They will no longer be sought out destinations.  Instead churches will become more specialized and strict in doctrine. They will create high barriers to entry to discourage trial users. Rewarding those that have earned a rite of passage.

As a result, in the future people will be increasingly be drawn towards the choices and freedom offered by the Internet. The strict guidelines of big religions will be perceived as old fashioned. The one-way monologue of traditional institutions will be at odds with the “user-created” ethos of online culture.  Today it is estimated that people switch religious affiliations on average of three times in their lifetime (Pew Research). In the future this number will grow, as virtual interactions become just as valuable and physical destinations.

Many people will come to value the freedom, inclusivity, and casual nature of secular teachings, which won’t require any investment to try out. This shift in values will be driven by peoples desire to co-create the building and adoption of new ideas.  However, fundamentalism will continue to exist in some form, as individuals will continue to be attracted to member groups with high barrier to entry that reward exclusivity and strong ties to a “higher purpose”.

Technology

In the digital context, religious institutions will be required to embrace technology in creative ways, or run the risk of being considered “old fashioned”. The most successful will not just keep up, but innovate in the realm of technology. It is unlikely however that in the next ten years, the benefit of a physical space in facilitating community interaction will be lost.

Religious institutions exist in a marketplace in the same way as a business does. While they have the advantage of a strong user-commitment, to maintain this they will be required to respond to the rapidly changing needs of 21st century people. Geographical constraints will become less important, freeing religions in a way to focus on more specific user demographics and needs. The variety of choice in religions may increase as a result. The accessibility of these groups will be an important issue. The language used, the rigidity of the doctrine, as well as monetary expectations will determine the churches ability to retain followers.

Those institutions that choose to embrace digital culture will be competing against a whole new world of ideas where individual voices carry as much weight as the collective voice of the church.

Industry

In the future old religions will increasingly rely on social media to remain competitive. Technology will change how people interact with each other, therefore religions will need to adapt to this new reality.

The separation of church and state in the western world, while enormously beneficial, has also made religion feel somewhat irrelevant in the minds of many.  In the future people will live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. 

As life spans increase people will be less concerned with the afterlife and more concerned with finding meaning in the life they live. Religion will need to reflect this. It is possible that the search for meaning will lead to increased fanaticism and fundamentalism.  Pockets of highly devout followers of religions with very high barriers to entry may emerge. They will find satisfaction in shared sacrifice making the experience more meaningful.

On the other, others will drift in and out of religious ideologies, sampling concepts and philosophies that require little investment. In the future secular religions may operate more like an episode of Oprah creating casual rituals that feel more like a conversation than a monologue. Oprah has perfected the art of encouraging self-reflection without the baggage of commitment. In the future people will be able to connect without connecting. Loose religious ties will create unique non-traditional partnerships that will make organized religion feel fresh.

In the future religions will continue to play a vital role in helping people to understand themselves and the changing world around them. The rapid adoption of new technologies will fundamentally change how people consume information.

Secularism is on the rise in American society, and yet at the same time, there is a strong craving for meaning that hasn’t been satisfied by secular forms of engagement. Religions offer ritual, celebration, community, and spiritual discourse, among other benefits, but also enforce a belief system and ideology that are turnoffs to many people. Investigate secular life and religious offerings, and find a way to create a “religion” for secular people that infuses some of the benefits of religion into your audience’s everyday life. Design the artifacts, processes, experiences, and structures that make this “religion” work.